1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable assembly consisting of a bait bucket which fits within a larger receptacle. Pumps located in the receptacle aerate the water in the bucket. When removed from the receptacle, the bucket containing bait will float conveniently in the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fishermen prefer to use fresh bait rather than other types of bait. Fish are known to prefer fresh bait. Fishermen go to great expense to obtain fresh bait. There are many commercially available devices which promise to keep fresh bait alive for a long time. Most of these devices, which are primarily for minnows, shrimp and other similar bait, attempt to maintain the natural habitat of the fish. The most important factors for keeping bait alive are providing water of the appropriate temperature and salinity, the availability of oxygen in the water which is normally provided by aeration, elimination of waste products in the water in which the bait lives, and food for the bait. Many of these devices are bulky, complex and expensive, and do not permit the fisherman to take the bait storage device with him on a fishing trip.
Less expensive and less complex devices exist which permit the fisherman to keep the fresh, live bait in a container which is submerged or which floats in the water being fished. These devices will keep the bait alive for only a short time, and are not useful where it is desired to take live bait to a remote area, or when it is necessary to obtain the bait at a time well prior to when it is used.
The present invention combines the advantages of an inexpensive, portable bait container with those of an aeration device which will keep bait alive for a longer time. This invention utilizes an insulated outer receptacle that contains pumps for providing aeration to the water in which the bait is stored. Air bubbles rise through openings in the bottom of a bait bucket which fits within the receptacle. The inner bucket can be removed from the receptacle and will float in the water near the fisherman for convenience. The receptacle contains its own DC power supply and is sufficiently portable to be taken with the fisherman on a fishing trip. The bait can thus be maintained in a fresh condition until ready for use. The receptacle also has a plug and an AC powered pump for longer term use where AC power is available. The invention is most useful when fresh bait must be obtained prior to the time it is to be used. The bait can be kept alive in the aerated bait bucket within the receptacle for a long period prior to its use, and the bait bucket can then be removed from the receptacle and will float in the water at the fishing site if desired.
The prior art has many portable or floating bait containers, and numerous devices for aerating a bait container. Nothing in the prior art, however, discloses a combination of such devices as taught herein. U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,145 to Key provides an aeration device for a minnow bucket utilizing an air storage chamber and a hand pump. U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,043 to Steele shows a bait container in the form of a foamed plastic chest incorporating a solar cell used to power a pump which aerates the water in the bait container. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,672 to Raia discloses a water circulation and aerating device located inside a bait container carried in a boat. An inside pump within the container and an outside pump utilizing water from the fishing location maintain the desired water level in the bait container and also regulate the temperature and oxygen content of the water in the container. This latter reference contains a description of a number of other prior art devices.